Sago is a staple food for the people of New Guinea, but this tasty and versatile starch is now sold all over the world. Sago is often found in pearls that are cooked to make pastas, pancakes, or meatballs. It is great for making recipes such as puddings and drinks. The sago in normal-sized pearls can be boiled, while the sago in coarse pearls should be left to soak during the day (for about 6 hours) so that it is ready at dinner time. It can be mixed with any type of fruit to try out new variations.
Ingrediants
Sago
- 1 cup of raw sago pearls
- 1, 5 l of water
- 100 g of granulated sugar
Doses for 5 servings
Big Sago Pearls
- 150 g of coarse sago pearls
- 2 liters of water
- 200 ml of water to be added later
Doses for 600 g
Dessert based on Mango and Sago
- 2 cups cooked sago (cold)
- 180-250ml mango puree (cold)
- 120-180ml coconut cream (cold)
- Sugar to taste
- Fresh mangoes cut into cubes (optional)
- Crushed ice (optional)
Doses for 4-6 servings
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Boil the Sago
Step 1. Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan
Measure 1.5 liters of water and pour it into a large saucepan. Put it on the stove and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once it starts to boil, lower the heat to a moderate temperature.
Step 2. Cook the sago over medium heat for 30 minutes
Pour 1 cup of sago into the boiling water. Put a lid on the pot and set a timer for 30 minutes. Stir the pearls every 10 minutes or so.
Step 3. Add the sugar to the water and sago
Pour 100 g of granulated sugar into the pot and mix everything well. At this point you can put the lid on and set the timer for 20 minutes. Stir the pearls halfway through cooking.
Add more water if it evaporates. The sago should remain immersed in the liquid for the entire duration of cooking
Step 4. Turn off the heat, let it cool and serve
When the timer has run out when 20 minutes have elapsed, turn off the heat. Move the pot to an off burner. Leaving the lid off, allow the sago to cool down to room temperature. Distribute it among several bowls and serve.
Method 2 of 4: Soak the Coarse Sago Pearls
Step 1. Boil the water in a large pot and add the sago
Pour 2 liters of water into a large saucepan and put it on the stove. Turn the heat to high and bring it to a boil. Pour 150 g of large sago pearls into the boiling water and add another 200 ml of water.
Step 2. Cook the sago on low for 15 minutes without a lid
Once the sago is added, bring the water back to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Let it cook without a lid and stir it from time to time with a slotted spoon.
Step 3. Put the lid on the pot and let the sago soak for 1 hour and 30 minutes
After cooking it on the minimum for 15 minutes, turn the heat to high and bring the water back to a boil. Once it starts to boil, turn off the heat, put the lid on the pot and let it soak for an hour and a half.
During boiling, the sago should be occasionally stirred with a skimmer to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot
Step 4. Bring the water back to a boil and let the sago soak for an hour and a half
The soaking process must be repeated 4 times in total. Turn the heat to high, bring the water to a boil and turn off the heat. Put the lid on the pot and let the sago soak for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Since the whole procedure requires little attention, it makes sense to plan other household chores, errands, or activities during the boiling and soaking operation.
- After the procedure, you will have left the sago to soak for a total of 6 hours (or 4 soaking phases in total, each lasting an hour and a half).
Step 5. Drain and rinse the sago, then serve as desired
Put a colander in the sink and drain the sago. At this point, rinse it well with tap water to decrease the starchy consistency. It will therefore be ready to be eaten.
- Some types of sago have slower cooking times than others. At the end of cooking, the large pearls are semi-transparent and slightly white in the center.
- If you prefer the pearls to have a less rubbery texture, you can continue to do the soaking process described above until they are completely transparent, without any trace of white.
Method 3 of 4: Make a Mango and Sago Dessert
Step 1. Mix the cooked sago and mango puree in a bowl
Pour the cooked sago and mango puree into a bowl. Mix the ingredients with a utensil such as a wooden spoon until evenly distributed.
Step 2. Incorporate the coconut cream into the sago and mango puree mixture
Once the ingredients have been evenly blended, stir in the coconut cream. Mixing the cream with the sago and mango puree is the easiest way ever to make large quantities of desserts.
To make the dessert more pleasing to the eye, pour the sago and mango puree mixture into the dessert bowls using a ladle, then top it with a drizzle of coconut cream
Step 3. Add garnishes if desired and bring to the table
Decorating the dessert with a few cubes of mango is another good idea to make it more pleasing to the eye. You can also sprinkle a handful of coconut flakes to accentuate the tropical notes of the dessert. Experiment freely with toppings until you find the combination you prefer.
Method 4 of 4: Try other Sago dishes
Step 1. Make a sweet potato and sago dessert
It is a relatively healthy dessert that can be made in under 30 minutes. The pandanus leaves provided by the recipe add a vanilla note to the dessert and cause the boiled sweet potatoes to acquire candy-like properties.
Step 2. Try the Asian style coconut sago
This version is particularly popular in Malaysia and Japan. If you are a sushi lover, it is possible that you are already familiar with this dish, as it is often used as a side dish. Sago pearls with coconut cream accompanied with fruit are excellent for proposing a delicious summer dessert.
Step 3. Cool the sago in the refrigerator and mix it with the cold fruit
Fresh fruit and sago are made for each other. The smooth texture of sago goes great with almost any fruit that has similar characteristics. It's a healthy snack, perfect for kids who don't want to know about eating fruit.
Traditionally this type of recipe uses fruits such as watermelon, green melon and mango, but adding other types, such as grapes and berries, can make it even tastier
Step 4. Make a hearty breakfast with oatmeal and sago
If you've been storing sago in a sugar syrup, making this nutritious and tasty breakfast will be a breeze. Make oatmeal porridge. Once ready, stir in the amount of sago pearls you want and bring to the table.
- Be careful when adding the sago pearls you kept in the sugar syrup. Using too many can make the porridge overly sweet.
- Add a handful of banana slices, a few drops of vanilla extract, and a sprinkle of nutmeg to enrich the flavor of the porridge.
